Doctoral Defence: Stefan Dedovic “European Union Digital Integration: Exploring the development and governance of cross-border digital public services

On 18 March at 14:30 Stefan Dedovic will defend his doctoral dissertation “European Union Digital Integration: Exploring the development and governance of cross-border digital public services” for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Political Science).

Supervisors:

Associate Professor Mihkel Solvak, University of Tartu; Professor Joep Crompvoets, KU Leuven; Visiting Professor Vincent Homburg, University of Tartu/Erasmus University of Rotterdam

Opponent:

Associate Professor Alex Ingrams, University of Leiden (the Netherlands)

Summary:

This dissertation investigates European digital integration through an analysis of the development and governance of cross-border digital public services. The level of digital advancement in delivering public services varies significantly between the national and cross-border levels. For example, at present, despite Estonia’s advanced digital health system, an Estonian traveller is unable to retrieve their prescription at a local pharmacy in Hungary, highlighting the existing limitations of cross-border digital public services in the EU. The European Union's foundation lies in establishing the freedom of movement of goods, capital, people, and services. While physical barriers have been largely addressed, the free movement of services, particularly within the digital realm, remains a challenge. However, the existing discrepancy between digital services offered within the national context and those offered to cross-border users has been a focus of EU policies over the last few decades. While being an integral part of the exact outcome and practical reality of European integration, the development and governance of cross-border digital public services in the EU remain underexplored. Building on three main articles and supported by additional research, this dissertation employs an interdisciplinary approach to offer valuable insights into the development and governance of cross-border digital public services. Cross-border digital public services are shaped by the complexities of their political, technological and inter-organisational aspects at the macro, meso and micro levels. The need for collaboration and data sharing between service delivery organisations raises several challenges and is inherently complex. The development and sustainable delivery of cross-border digital public services are shaped by the readiness of organisations to undertake changes, their trust and willingness to cooperate, and their existing levels of digital advancement. This dissertation recommends prioritising the identification of organisational incentives and benefits for implementing organisations, increasing support for bottom-up regional cooperation, and viewing cross-border digital service delivery as an organisational capability rather than a fully new and distinct digital service. It also highlights the need to improve data-provision and usage capabilities, as well as the ability to turn shared data into tangible user value.